Improvement in harvesters



ALBERT M, R058 2 Sheets-Sheet1.

Harvester.

' Pat entedjan.2,1872.

mm m. M

ALBERT M. ROSS, 2 Sheets sheet 2.

Harvester. No. 122,492, Patentedlan.2,1872

UNITED STATES ALBERT M. ROSS, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,492, dated January2, 1872.

To all whom lit may concern:

Beit knownthat I, ALBERT M. Ross, of Ilion, in the county of Herkimerand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Harvesting-Machines; and that the subjoined description in connectionwith the accompanying drawing will give a full, clear, and exactconception of the same.

Of the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents in perspective so muchof a mowingmachine as will illustrate my particular inven tion. Figs. 2,3, 4, 5, and 6 represent details of the machine, which will be hereaftermore fully referred to.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the several separatefigures, denote like parts of the machine in the drawing.

My invention relates, first, to a combined lifting and latch-lever forraising and holding up the cutting apparatus in a vertical or nearlyvertical position. It relates further to the arrangement by which theinner end of the coupling-arm and the wrist-wheel shield are both unitedby the same pin or bolt to the same lugs, but so that the former mayhave both a vertical and a rolling motion, while the latter isimmovable, or practically so. It relates further to the arrangement, inconnection with the lifting and latching-lever and the coupling-arm, ofa second lever for rocking the coupling-arm and adjusting the pitch orinclination of the points of the guards thereby.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing.

The main axle A is supported in a pair of driving and carrying-wheels, BB, and upon this axle is supported and carried a metallic case, 0, inwhich the gearing and moving parts are inclosed. D is the drivers seat,located at the rear of the machine; and E is the tongue by which themachine is guided and drawn, the heel of said tongue being fastened inor to a shoe or recess formed on the case or main frame. To the tongueat a the double-tree F is secured by a bolt, and from this bolt adraftrod, b, extends downward and toward the cutting apparatus, and issecured at its lower end to the coupling-bar G, as shown at 0. At thefront under side of the case 0, as more distinctways.

ly seen in Fig. 4:, are cast two lugs, 01 d, through which passes abolt, 0, and between these lugs, and so as to receive saidbolt, isfitted the bent-up end f of the wrist-wheel guard H, so that said guardwill be held therein quite rigidly. In and through the bent-up end f ofthe guard H there is a mortise, i, into which a head, g, is passed, andwhich head is also held by the bolt 6, but so that said head, as well asthe coupling-bar G in which it works, may move up and down, as occasionmay require. This head g has upon it a screw-shank, seen in Fig. 3,which is screwed into the end of the coupling-bar G, so that saidcoupling-bar may rock or roll slightly in the line of its short axis,and in so doing it works upon the screw-thread of the shank of said headG. To the couplingbar G, as at h, is hinged the inside shoe I, and tothis shoe is bolted the linger-bar J, on the outer end of which isarranged the outer shoe K, friction-wheel L, and hinged track-clearer M.The fingers and cutters are arranged on the finger-bar in any of theusual well-known Upon the main axle A is arranged an arm, N, which has anotched down-hanger, N, upon it, and which may have, as shown by dottedlines at j, a brace connected to or with it, which may pass over or takein the end of jection forming one side of an open and slotted way, andthe down-hanger the other side of such way, in which a pin orcross-head, 70, Fig. 2, on the lever P, as well as the lever itself, maymove up and down, as occasion may require. Upon the lever 1? there is aspring hand-bolt, Z, which, when released, takes into one of the seriesof notches in the down-hanger to hold said lever and the coupling-arm G,which it actuates in its adjustedposition. Upon the forward end of thearm N is pivoted, as at m, the lift and latch-lever Q, the rear or upperend of which is in convenient position to be seized and operated by thedriver upon his seat at D, and the forward end Q, of

which is curved upward and outward toward the fin ger-bar, and its outerend notched to form a recess, 0, to receive the finger-bar when it israised up into a vertical or nearly-vertical position by said lever Q,and a latch, 11, to hold it there. From the forward andoutwardly-projecting end Q of the lifting and latchinglever a link, q,extends, and is connected to the finger-bar at 1', so that said bar maynot only be readily lifted up by it into its locking position, but becontrolled by it when said finger-bar is to be let down again by thedriver in his seat. Upon the lever Q there is adog, 8, which takesagainst or into a notch or shoulder, t, upon the arm N for holding thefingerbar up above the ground, and this dog 8 can be detached from itsstop, catch, or shoulder by the driver placing his foot upon the rearthereof and pressing it downward. The pawls and rat hets, or theirsubstitutes, for making the wheels and axle turn together when themachine is advancing, and allowing them to turn independent of eachother when the machine is backed or being turned around, are placedinside of the clutch-boxes; being well known and in common use, they arenot shown in the drawing. The wrist-wheel, to which the pitman fordriving the cutters is attached, is shown at B, Fig. 4.. It is driven bythe shaft S, which is incased, and which receives its motion from themain drive-gear in the inclosed case at and near the main axle A, whichpasses through said case. The object of the lever P is to turn thepoints of the guards up or down, as may be required, which it does byturning the couplingbar G upon its screw-thread fastening on the pivotedhead g. The lever Q not only raises and holds the finger-bar and cuttingapparatus above the surface of the ground by means of the dog 8 andshoulder I, but also raises up said finger-bar and cutting apparatusinto a vertical, or about, or a little beyond a vertical position, andthere catches and holds it for ready transportation, and may from thisposition be let down again by the driver in his seat, he having completecontrol of it without moving from his seat.

When the finger-bar and cutting apparatus is to be raised up and held,and carried in its upright position, the lever P is raised so that itsbolt 1 will take the upper one of the notches shown. The other lever Qis then brought down, which swings up said finger-bar and cutters untilopposite the latch or recess in said lever, where it is caught and held.If it be desirable, when the finger'bar and cutters are in this uprightposition, to secure them against dropping by any accidental moving ofthe lever Q, it is only necessary to drop the spring-bolt and its leverfrom the upper to the second notch, and this looks the lever Q so thatit cannot be moved enough to release said bar and cutters or until thespring-bolt and lever are again raised to an upper notch.

I have described my lifting and latchinglever as applied to a turningaxle, which requires it to be hung loosely thereon. It may be used witha stationary main axle, and then be keyed or otherwise fastened to suchan axle, and serve the same purpose, as hereinabove described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a hinged finger-bar, the lifting andlatching-lever Q, linked thereto, so that said finger-bar and itsconnected parts may be raised and held up by said lever fortransportation or otherwise, substantially as described.

I also claim the combination of the shield and coupling-bar, when unitedto the same lugs by the same bolt or pin, so that the shield shall berigid and the coupling-bar capable not only of freely moving up anddown, but have a slight rolling motion, as and for the purpose describedand represented.

I also claim, in combination with the lever P and its spring bolt l, andthrough pin or cross-head k, the arm a supporting the liftinglever, thenotched down-hanger N, and projection O with their grooves for saidcrosshead to move in, and with their lower ends abutting against oroverlapping each other, as and for the purpose described.

ALBERT M. ROSS.

Witnesses:

A. B. Srouenrou, EDMUND MASSON.

